Atlantis School of Sorcery
by Lady Rosalune
Summary: "Sienna Sinclair had everything at Hogwarts—she was popular, beautiful, Quidditch captain, and top of her class. But now, she has the opportunity to give all that up and attend the most exclusive magical school in the world, Atlantis School of Sorcery." GinnyxHarry with one-sided SiennaxHarry. Rated T for paranoia. Contains spoilers for books 6 and 7.
1. Introduction

_Hey guys! My name is Lady Rosalune for those of you who haven't met me yet. This is my first chaptered story written for fanfiction! *applause* Anyway, this story is compatible with canon Harry Potter, at least for now. I will tend to follow the books as opposed to the movies with only a few exceptions. The only one I can think of off the top of my head is that, for girls, I use dresses, not dress robes. I drew the cover photo myself and you can find it and any other art I draw for this story on my deviantART page at ladyrosalune . deviantart gallery / 43859646 (remove spaces). I hope you all enjoy the story, and don't forget to review. I want to know what y'all think about the story._

* * *

Ah. . . Sienna Sinclair. . . Where to begin? I suppose the beginning is the best place to start. Sienna Sinclair was born to Sawyer and Samantha Sinclair, the first of their three daughters. Sawyer was a pureblood, and Samantha was a muggleborn; both had attended Hogwarts. On her eleventh birthday, Sienna got her letter inviting her to follow in her parents' footsteps to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

On the Hogwarts Express, Sienna met Harry Potter. From that moment on, they were nearly inseparable. Of course, there was the slight problem that Sienna was a Ravenclaw. Nonetheless, Sienna continued to grow closer and closer to Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. Sienna was a beautiful girl, tall and slim, with dark, soft brown hair, deep, chocolaty eyes, and an even temperament. She was a chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team (she even became captain fifth year). But she was much more focused on her studies. Sienna was beating Hermione as best in their year from day one.

Of course, many years have gone by since the day she and Harry met. This story begins at the end of their sixth year. Dumbledore is dead—hope seems lost. Harry is about to make a difficult choice, but, for the first time, his closest ally may not be beside him.


	2. Chapter 1: Surprise

_Ok, this is where the story starts. The chapters will get longer, don't worry. Review!_

* * *

**Chapter 1: Surprise**

"I'm not coming back to Hogwarts next year," Harry said quietly. He, Ron, Hermione, and Sienna were sitting by the lake on a bright, warm day that heralded the coming of summer. Dumbledore's funeral was set for the next morning, and this was their last day at Hogwarts before the break.

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other. "Er, we expected that Harry," Ron said slowly. "You're going to find the horcruxes."

"And we're going with you, Harry," Hermione added quickly.

"Guys, I can't let you do that," Harry replied. "I don't want you to get hurt or anything."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Yeah, and we absolutely won't get hurt now that You-Know-Who is back and Dumbledore's dead. Face it, Harry, we're coming with you."

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. "You'll need our help, Harry. Besides, there is no way you could keep us from coming."

Harry unwillingly began to smile, but it faltered. He looked over to where Sienna was sitting silently staring at the lake. He didn't want to say anything, but he'd feel a lot more comfortable if she were coming too.

Hermione spoke for him, "Sienna, aren't you coming?"

Sienna sighed. "I'm not coming back to Hogwarts next year either, but I'm also not going with you." She took a deep breath and continued, "I was accepted to Atlantis School of Sorcery for seventh year. I'm going there."

Harry and Ron looked utterly bewildered, but Hermione's jaw dropped. "You were accepted to Atlantis?" She exclaimed. "I can't believe it. That's a huge honor! They hardly ever accept students in the exchange program."

Ron interrupted, looking annoyed. "Would someone please tell me what Atlantis School of Sorcery is?"

Sienna began to explain, still not making eye contact with any of them. "Atlantis School of Sorcery is the most exclusive magical school in the world. It accepts students from all over Europe and America, but there really aren't very many of them. It has many of the most talented teachers in the world as well. It's my life's dream to attend there and it's finally coming true. It took months of applications and tests, but I'm officially registered for next fall. I'll take my N.E.W.T.s there too."

"Do you know which house you'll be in? They do have some sort of house system, don't they?" Harry asked, trying to appear excited.

"Yeah, I'll be an Amazon. There are four different colleges: Amazonia, Elysia, Heroica, and Troy. Amazonia and Elysia are all female and all male respectively. Heroica and Troy are both mixed. Most exchange students become Trojans, it's really rare for one to be an Amazon."

"So did you have to try on a sorting hat?" Ron asked laughing.

"No, you're sorted based on tests that you must take. Don't worry though," She continued glancing over at Harry and Ron's incredulous looks. "Students don't take those exams until the end of third year. All first through third years are Trojans. The students who score particularly well on the exams join one of the other three houses. Amazonia and Elysia are the two smallest houses, but Heroica is the most prestigious. The Amazon mascot is the falcon; the Elysian mascot is the leopard; the Heroes get the dragon; and the Trojans have a stallion."

The four of them continued to talk about Atlantis until lunch time. Hermione and Ron went quickly up to the Great Hall while Sienna and Harry lagged behind. "Harry," Sienna said softly. "Look, I'm sorry I can't go with you, but I just have to do this. Maybe _this_ is _my_ destiny."

Harry shrugged, but Sienna could tell he wasn't really okay. "Harry, please, you're my best friend, don't tune me out. This year will end and then we'll see each other again. In the meantime, you've got Hermione and Ron, not to mention the Order."

After several minutes of silence, Harry spoke, "You'll write, won't you?"

"Er, Harry, that's the thing: I can't write. There's no outside contact allowed at Atlantis. That is, unless I can find a way around the system." With that, she was silent a moment as she rummaged in her bag. "Ah ha!" She said triumphantly, pulling a mirror out of the bag. She tapped it with her wand and a second mirror appeared. Sienna then linked the two mirrors together through a complex looking spell. She handed one to Harry. "I'm sorry to say, I didn't come up with this idea myself," She said smiling. "If you remember, Sirius gave you a mirror very much like that one. That, of course, means you already know how to use it."

Harry smiled at her and, together, they walked back to the Great Hall.


	3. Chapter 2: The Shortest Summer

_Hello! So here's the next chapter of the story. Sorry it took a while, but it's a really long chapter. Speaking of which, most chapters will not be quite this long. They will be longer than the last one, but this one's a little much. I hope you enjoy it. Review!_

* * *

**Chapter 2: The Shortest Summer**

That last day at Hogwarts passed quickly and, all too soon, Harry and Sienna were standing on Platform 9 ¾, saying goodbye.

"So, will I get to see you again before you leave for Atlantis?" Harry asked as they were about to pass through the barrier.

"Of course," Sienna replied laughing. "I wouldn't miss Bill and Fleur's wedding." They emerged from the barrier and found themselves in the Muggle world once again. "I've got to go, Harry. My parents are over there waiting for me. I'll see you soon." With that, Sienna walked away as Harry stared sadly after her.

. . .

Sienna spent the next month with her parents and two younger sisters, Stella and Sylvia. Stella had just completed her fourth year and Sylvia her first, but there was a chance they would not be returning to Hogwarts next year either. The Sinclair family, though not members of the Order of the Phoenix, were strongly against Voldemort and had already made plans to flee should the ministry fall.

Over that month, Sienna spent her time packing and studying. She had spoken to Harry, Ron, and Hermione of the tests she had taken, but they didn't understand just how difficult and varied the tests were. Sienna had had to take tests on everything from Ancient Runes to Transfiguration, flying to sword-fighting. She had done well enough at most of the tests to make up for deficiencies in such areas as sword-fighting and archery. Besides, most of the traditional Muggle fighting styles were primarily learned by Heroes while the other colleges didn't bother with them very much. In fact, Trojans were not even required to take those courses.

The one course that was going to be a problem was Divination. The top three colleges were required to take Divination and even Trojans were encouraged to. The problem was that Sienna hadn't taken a day of Divination in her life, and, regardless, Professor Trelawney would not have been able to prepare her for the level at which the class was taught at Atlantis. In other words, at Atlantis, a fraud didn't teach Divination. Therefore, Sienna had to get to Atlantis about a fortnight early so that she could take a remedial Divination course. Between this and the fact that Atlantis started school two weeks earlier than Hogwarts, Sienna would need to leave directly after the wedding to get on the train in time.

A week before Bill and Fleur's wedding, Sienna and her family traveled by floo powder to the Leaky Cauldron so they could purchase their school stuff. Sienna had a long list of things she would need for the school year and first among them was her school robes. Unlike at Hogwarts, each college had its own uniform. The first through third years, along with the rest of the Trojans, wore black robes while the other three houses had robes based on their college colors. As an Amazon, Sienna needed dark, bronze colored robes with teal trim, showing that she was an upperclassman. Underclassman didn't have their robes trimmed in the college's secondary color. Sienna managed to procure the robes as well as her potions ingredients, textbooks, and everything else. The family left almost immediately after they finished shopping, for Diagon Alley was no longer the safe, cheery place it had once been.

Soon, it was time for Sienna's departure to the Burrow for Harry's birthday and the wedding. She had passed her apparition exam in the spring, so on the morning of July 30th, Sienna bid her family farewell and apparated with her school stuff to just outside the Burrow's protective enchantments.

Sienna lugged her stuff to the door of the Burrow and knocked. Lupin's voice issued from inside. "Who's there?"

"Sienna Sinclair."

"Which question did you miss on your first Defense against the Dark Arts test when I was your teacher?"

Sienna smiled for a moment, reminiscing, then replied, "I didn't miss a question. You took marks off because I wrote more than the maximum length on the boggart essay. Now I have to check to see if you're Lupin. What was the date when I confronted you about being a werewolf?"

She heard Lupin's breath catch before he answered, "October 17, after class. It was my first day back after my second illness, and you had seen Snape bringing me my potion a few days before."

"Correct," she said softly. The door opened to reveal one of her favorite teachers of all time, looking sad. She stepped in and wanted to apologize, but couldn't; he knew why she'd had to ask. So instead Sienna forced a smile and turned to look around the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was cooking breakfast while Tonks, Bill, and Monsieur Delacour were chatting around a table heaped with birthday presents. "Everyone else still asleep then?"

"Yeah," Lupin laughed halfheartedly.

She smiled. Of course she'd been expecting that. At that moment, Harry and Ron walked in yawning. "Happy birthday, Harry." She said brightly.

"Oh, Sienna, when did you get here?"

"Just now." She felt like beaming. It had been a while since she'd seen him, but she couldn't risk letting him know how she felt. After all, he loved Ginny, and she, Sienna, would be gone for the next year. It would be wrong to make him feel guilty.

"Well, that's great. I'm glad you could make it for my birthday." He was smiling now, so she let herself smile too, but only a little bit.

Mrs. Weasley interrupted them. "Why don't you both sit down and have breakfast, then, Sienna, you can put your stuff in Ginny's room. You will be sharing that room with her and Hermione tonight. It will be a little crowded, but we'll make it work."

So the three of them sat down at the table and began eating. Harry was busily opening presents as well. Sienna watched silently, simply enjoying the company she was keeping. She hadn't given Harry his present yet, but she wanted to wait a little longer, until there weren't quite so many people around.

Soon other people began arriving for breakfast, and the kitchen became quite crowded, so Harry, Ron, and Sienna decided to go upstairs.

As Sienna began to carry her trunk up to Ginny's room, Harry came and grabbed the trunk. "Here, Sienna, can I help you with that?"

She smiled and let him take it as she instead picked up her smaller bags. The three walked upstairs chatting happily like old times. All too soon they arrived at the correct landing. Since Harry and Sienna had their hands full, Ron knocked.

The door opened to reveal a yawning Hermione who squealed, seeing one of her best friends. "There you are. I was wondering when you'd get here. You've got to let me see your textbooks. The academics are so much more advanced at Atlantis. . . I hope you'll be all right. Of course you will, you're Sienna-" About there, Sienna stopped listening. She loved her friend, but Hermione could talk forever, and it often wasn't overly important.

However, Harry was still holding the trunk and it was starting to get heavy so he interrupted Hermione. "Are you gonna let us in or not?"

Hermione blushed. "Oh, of course. Here, let's make some room." With that she opened the door wide and set about making room for the extra cot. Harry was soon able to put down the trunk, and he did so before stretching, slightly sore after having to hold the trunk in the same position for so long.

Hermione had left to go get breakfast and Ron and Harry were going upstairs to their room when Ginny showed up.

"Harry," she said, catching him before he got too far up the stairs. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Sienna grabbed Ron, who seemed about to try and follow them, and led him upstairs. "Ron, you can't just forbid the two of them from seeing each other."

"Of course I can, I'm her brother. He already broke up with her and broke her heart, so I'm not going to let him mess around with her now."

"No, Ron, leave them alone!" They stood on the stairs fighting in whispers until Ron managed to get free and burst back into Ginny's room. He and Sienna stood stunned in the doorway as they saw Harry and Ginny standing there awkwardly, having obviously been snogging moments before.

Ron was furious. Sienna on the other hand wanted to cry. Luckily, she felt nervous enough at the situation that nothing else showed on her face.

Ron and Harry walked quickly out the door, obviously about to have a huge argument. Sienna walked over to Ginny, who had begun crying.

"Ginny, it's okay. You know he loves you, right? He just doesn't want to break your heart if anything happens to him. It's a noble sentiment, but dumb."

Ginny nodded through her tears then turned and hugged Sienna. Sienna was shocked. She and Ginny had known each other for years but hadn't been close friends in ages. Sienna had hated watching Harry and Ginny together, but she had also known that she could never get in the way of anything that made Harry happy, so she hadn't interfered. Now, she could hardly contain her own tears as she held the sobbing Ginny.

Once Ginny had finally calmed down, she went downstairs for breakfast. Sienna on the other hand went outside to find Harry, his birthday present tucked into the pocket of her jeans.

She found him sitting under a tree just a little ways away from the house perusing a book. He set it down when he saw her coming, and Sienna could tell he had mostly been trying to distract himself, probably from the fight that had inevitably occurred between him and Ron after they left Ginny's room.

She sat down next to him and handed him a wrapped present. "This is for you. Happy birthday, Harry."

Harry took the present and began to unwrap it. Inside he found a bronze colored leather bracelet with a small teal stone set into it. "Er, Sienna, why did you get me a bracelet?" He asked perplexed.

Sienna laughed. "It has protective enchantments on it. It will prevent anyone from scrying you or tracking you, and it should repel most minor hexes, jinxes, and curses. Plus, it's Amazon colors, so I'll be with you three in spirit."

Harry smiled, then asked, "What's scrying?"

"It's a type of magic that is very difficult to master and isn't taught at Hogwarts. It involves seeing something from a long way off. I mostly know about it because I failed that portion of the divination exam at Atlantis. As soon as I realized I didn't know what I was doing, I researched how to block people from scrying me. It's really a useful tool though."

Harry nodded, putting on the bracelet. They sat there in silence for another minute or two before Harry finally broke it. "Uh, tell me some more about Atlantis."

Sienna suppressed a grimace, and then sighed. "Well, I suppose I can tell you how I got in. It was pretty complicated. You see, everything ever written about Atlantis is very clear on one fact: if you request entrance, it will be denied. You can only get in by invitation. I had been hoping and praying for an invitation from my first year at Hogwarts. During our fifth year, when we were being tortured by Umbridge, I gave up—I sent Atlantis a letter requesting permission to attend as a transfer student. You can imagine my surprise when they replied during summer break telling me they had been hoping I would contact them. You see, that's the first test. The idea is to weed out anyone who doesn't really care. Only if you care enough to risk everything and ask for entrance can you get in. I don't like the system but it works. They have a list of students they have their eyes on, and if one of them actually requests permission, they will be considered.

"From there I was allowed to take the entrance exam. I didn't say anything to you guys because the chance of me getting in was still slim. However, I scored well. They had me take other tests too, such as an advanced version of the placement test they use for the third years and specialized tests in such areas as dueling, divination, flying, even public speaking. They wanted to place me properly. The final test was defining my own spell. I had to use the basic laws of magic and do something new with them. You know the spell that I use to completely alter my appearance when I want to hang out in the Gryffindor common room? Well, I showed them that. In less than a minute, with a single spell, I completely transformed into Rosy Johnson. It also has spells that make it nearly undetectable. They were impressed because I changed my height, eye color, hair color, skin tone, clothes, and even my voice all in one spell. They knew I wasn't an animorphmagus and I hadn't used polyjuice potion, so it had to be my own creation. That's what got me into Amazonia. I was done—finally in. The hardest test, though, wasn't even an official test: it was telling you guys that I was leaving. By the way, thanks for understanding about that. I don't like leaving you either, but I can't pass this up."

Harry had been sitting open-mouthed this entire time but finally shook off his surprise. "Sienna, that's crazy. I didn't realize how hard you worked for this. I'm sorry if I didn't seem very happy for you at the end of term, but I was upset about everything."

Sienna smiled slightly. "I know. I'm sorry about not being particularly cheerful. I'll try to be more excited. I just know that time speeds up when you're happy and I don't really want this time to end." She flushed a little as she muttered the last few words, but Harry was oblivious. He just smiled back.

"Yeah, me neither. I'm glad you could come."

Sienna didn't need to answer; he knew she was happy to be here with him. Of course, she never could tell him just how happy she was. That saddened her, but she had made her choice and she wasn't turning back.

They continued to talk about trivial things, but the minds of both were elsewhere. Finally Harry seemed to come back to earth. "Sienna," He said suddenly, interrupting her monologue on nothing. She looked up blankly, making him laugh. "I wanted to show you the birthday present Ron got me. Don't tell him I showed you though, he specifically told me not to show anyone. But I think you'd have a laugh."

He picked up the book he had been reading and handed it to her. The title read _Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches_. She couldn't help but smirk as she opened to the table of contents and looked through the means of impressing girls. The more she saw, the more her smirk grew. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. She snapped the book shut and lightly hit Harry on the head with it.

"Hey!" He said, sounding annoyed. "What did you do that for?"

"You just handed a _girl_ a book about how to impress _girls_. This is probably why Ron didn't want you to show anyone. He knew you'd end up showing it to the wrong people." She tried to sound intimidating, but started laughing, ruining the effect. "You're a moron."

"No I'm not," But Harry was laughing now too.

They both laughed for several minutes before finally catching their breath. Sienna began to frown slowly. "Why did you want to show it to me?" She said, voicing the question that had been troubling her.

"I don't know," He replied softly. Then he looked up and his voice gained a cocky tone. "I guessed this was a faster way to find out if the methods worked than trying out each one."

Sienna hit him with the book again. "First of all, none of them will work if you're cocky about it. Second, there's no panacea for girls—we're all different and you have to decide how to approach a girl based on the girl, not some book. Though, you might be able to pick up a few hints from it." She added as an afterthought.

Harry smiled abashed, but nodded anyway. "Okay, thanks. But please, stop hitting me, will you?"

Sienna nodded looking penitent, but hit him once more with the book for good measure. "There, I'm done."

Harry then proceeded to chase Sienna around the yard with the book until Mrs. Weasley looked out, wondering at the noise. "Ah, it looks like you two have some extra time. Sienna, will you come help me with the laundry? And Harry, I know it's your birthday but unfortunately a lot needs doing. Could you find Ron and help him clean up out there?"

They nodded, struggling to contain their laughter. Harry waved goodbye then headed off to find Ron while Sienna followed Mrs. Weasley into the laundry room. The two carefully washed and dried all the laundry using magic, as directed by Gilderoy Lockhart's books. Actually, Mrs. Weasley followed the books, and Sienna completely ignored them. Despite their different methods, all the laundry was soon done.

Next, Mrs. Weasley enlisted Sienna to help make Harry's birthday cake. It was going to be a magnificent surprise, but Mrs. Weasley needed some help. They worked hard on the huge snitch cake and soon it was baking. Dinner was next and before long it was time to eat the feast that had been prepared.

They couldn't start until Mr. Weasley arrived, and Mrs. Weasley was getting nervous. When he finally appeared, he was accompanied by Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic.

Scrimgeour walked right up to where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were standing and said, "I require a private word with the three of you. Ah, Miss Sinclair is here too, then? Well, please join us as well. Arthur, you needn't accompany us." He then turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Is there a place we can speak privately?"

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley said nervously. "You can use the sitting room."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione led the way into the house. When she passed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sienna said softly, "Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Just give us a second."

They nodded, and Sienna followed the others into the sitting room. Scrimgeour had taken Mr. Weasley's old armchair, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione had squeezed onto the couch, so Sienna quickly conjured a comfy, floating, egg-shaped chair, and sat down. Scrimgeour looked mildly surprised, but soon returned his attention to his reason for being there.

"As I'm sure you know, I am here because of Albus Dumbledore's will," Scrimgeour began. As he looked around at the looks of surprise, he continued, "Ah, then you did not know. Well, each of you was included in Dumbledore's will."

Sienna watched as Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at one another in shock.

"Would you say you were close to Dumbledore, Ronald?" Scrimgeour asked suddenly. Ron looked startled.

"Er, no, not really." Ron glanced around at the other three who all were desperately giving him looks to shut up. However, the damage was done.

"Then how can you explain the fact that only the four of you out of all of Dumbledore's many students received anything under his will?" Scrimgeour asked, pouncing on Ron's mistake.

"Don't be modest, Ron," Hermione chided. Then she turned to Scrimgeour. "Professor Dumbledore was very fond of Ron, just as he was of Harry, Sienna, and me."

Scrimgeour's only response was a raised eyebrow. Then he pulled a piece of parchment from a moleskin pouch. He looked at the four students once more before reading.

"'_To Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, in the hope that he will remember me when he uses it_.'"

Ron looked shocked as he took the silver object from Scrimgeour. "So, Mr. Weasley, to what use did Dumbledore think you'd put this?"

Ron shrugged. "Put out lights, I s'pose."

Scrimgeour just looked at him, before turning back to the will.

"'_To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beadle the Bard, in the hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive._'"

He handed Hermione an old book. "Why do you think Dumbledore left you this book, Miss Granger?" Scrimgeour asked searchingly.

"He knew I liked books," said Hermione, trying desperately not to cry.

Scrimgeour didn't seem to like this answer any better than Ron's, but he turned back to the will.

"'_To Miss Sienna Artemis Sinclair, I leave my favorite picture frame, in the hope that it will allow her to keep her friends close, even when they are apart._'"

Sienna took a carved silver picture frame from Scrimgeour. She admired the roses worked into the metal, then noticed that there didn't seem to be a picture within. Looking closer, she found that there was no place to open the frame either. That seemed odd, but she wasn't going to mention it.

When she looked up, Scrimgeour asked, "Why would Dumbledore have left you an empty picture frame?"

"He knew I was going overseas this year for school, so he probably wanted to give me a way to keep my friends with me at all times. What else are pictures for?" Sienna said smiling sadly at the frame in her hands.

Scrimgeour looked back at the will once more.

"'_To Harry James Potter, I leave the Snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill._'"

Scrimgeour pulled the Snitch from the pouch. "As you know, Snitches have flesh memories. This Snitch remembers your touch. Dumbledore may have enchanted it to open at your touch. Take it, Mr. Potter."

Harry tentatively reached out his hand and took the Snitch. Nothing happened.

"Well, that was dramatic," Harry said coolly. Ron, Hermione, and Sienna started laughing, mostly from relief.

Scrimgeour's face was sour as he began to speak again. "There is one last thing. Dumbledore left you a second bequest, Mr. Potter: the sword of Godric Gryffindor. Now, the sword is a historical artifact and it was not Dumbledore's to give. It belongs—"

"It belongs to Harry," Hermione interrupted.

"I'm sorry, it does not," Scrimgeour replied, not looking in the least penitent.

"That's not for you to say," Sienna replied angrily getting to her feet. "It was Dumbledore's to give to whomsoever he chose. If he'd wanted it to go to a museum, he would have sent it there himself. He apparently didn't want it to remain at Hogwarts either. The sword is Harry's, minister."

Scrimgeour's face contorted in rage as he, too, rose. "It is not Harry's just as it was not Dumbledore's. The sword will remain at Hogwarts until such a time as the school decides it ought to be moved. That is all I came here to say, so good day."

With that, Scrimgeour stormed out of the sitting room. The four remaining in the room glanced at one another. Sienna broke the silence first. "We should get out there. Ron, your parents are probably worried sick." She quickly vanished her chair then walked outside, closely followed by Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

When they arrived back at the party they found everyone looking worried. Sienna forestalled the questioning, saying, "He had to give us what Dumbledore left us in his will."

For the rest of the party, the objects were passed around from hand to hand. No one could make sense of the Snitch or of the picture frame, as it seemed that no picture was in it. Soon, Mrs. Weasley sent the group to bed to ensure they'd be ready for the wedding the next day.

When Hermione and Sienna reached the landing that held the room they were sharing with Ginny, Hermione muttered, "We need to meet Ron and Harry after everyone's gone to bed. We can leave as soon as Ginny falls asleep."

Sienna nodded, and the two hurriedly got ready for bed. They waited in their beds until Ginny's breathing finally slowed, signaling she was asleep. Then, they rose and ascended the stairs until they reached Ron's room at the very top. Hermione knocked softly, then walked in, with Sienna right behind her.

Harry and Ron were sitting on their beds looking over the objects they had been given. Before anyone said anything, Hermione waved her wand towards the door and whispered, "_Muffliato_."

"Thought you didn't approve of that spell," said Ron.

"Times change," Hermione responded quickly. "Now, show us the Deluminator."

Ron held it up for the three to see, and then clicked it, plunging the room into darkness.

"What's the point of giving you that?" Hermione asked in frustration. "We could have done that with Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder."

"Or with _Tenebras face_," Sienna interrupted. Seeing their bewildered expressions she added, "You know, the darkness spell?"

They had stopped asking her how she knew stuff like that ages ago, so Hermione continued, "Exactly. Dumbledore would not have bothered to give the Deluminator to Ron just for the sake of turning off lights. Plus, I can't make sense of this book. I mean, what's the point of him giving me a book of children's stories?"

They all shrugged. "And guys, there's not even a picture in this picture frame," Sienna laughed bitterly. "It's all black. If there is a picture, the occupant has been hiding for the past month at least. Even better, it doesn't open. I can't put a picture in there either. It's a permanently empty picture frame."

The group sat in silence for a moment, thinking.

"Then there's the old Snitch he left Harry. What on earth was that about?" Ron said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, well I wasn't going to try too hard to open it in front of Scrimgeour, was I?" Harry smirked.

They all looked at him in confusion until Sienna started. "Oh, right, that's the Snitch from your first match. Ugh, I'm an idiot." Harry smiled as Ron and Hermione turned their confused expressions onto Sienna. "Guys, that's the one he almost swallowed."

Their eyes widened in surprise as they too remembered that first Quidditch match. Harry took a deep breath, and then pressed the Snitch to his mouth.

They all watched with bated breath, but the Snitch didn't open. Suddenly, Hermione squealed, "Harry, there's writing!"

They all bent closer to read the tiny script.

_I open at the close_

The writing faded almost immediately, leaving just as many questions as it had found.

"What on earth does that mean?" Sienna asked, voicing the question all were thinking.

The other three just shook their heads, equally confused.

"And what about the sword?" Ron asked suddenly. "Why did Dumbledore want Harry to have that?" Again, the question was met with confused silence.

"We should get to sleep," Hermione said finally. "We don't want to oversleep tomorrow."

They all agreed, so Hermione and Sienna took their leave as Ron clicked the Deluminator once more.

. . .

Sienna was woken at the crack of dawn on the morning of the wedding by an already frantic Mrs. Weasley. "Get up, all of you," she said breathlessly, opening the curtains to let what little sunlight there was enter Ginny's room. "Guests will be here within a few hours and we need to be completely dressed and ready in time to finish setting up for them." She kept talking but Sienna was too groggy to really understand much of it. However, she did manage to pull herself out of bed.

Sienna walked downstairs for a quick bite of breakfast before showering and getting dressed and ready for the wedding. She pulled the elegant dress from her trunk and removed the wrinkles with a quick spell before sliding it on. It was a dull gold dress with black accents. The skirt went down to her knees in the front and fell several inches farther in the back. It had a straight neckline with small black straps and a black sash.* With it she put on gold sandals, each with a small black stone placed in the middle. To finish off the outfit Sienna put on a gold necklace with a black teardrop hanging from it. She also pulled her hair up into a Regency-esque hair style, with most of her hair in an elegant bun while the bottom layer was curled and left hanging down her back.

After she finished getting ready, Sienna went outside. By this time most everything had been set up, and the first guests were starting to arrive. Sienna found Ron standing outside the marquee with a red-headed boy that was supposedly his cousin.

"Hi, Ron, Harry," Sienna said brightly as she joined them.

The red-headed cousin looked shocked. "How did you know it was me?"

Sienna smirked. "Oh come on, I've known you for what, seven years now? I should be able to pick you out of a crowd even with the polyjuice potion. Besides, that boy lives in the village. I saw him there one time when I decided to take a walk."

Harry just shook his head, as Ron rolled his eyes and said, "Come on, you either need to go sit down or help us show people in."

"I'll help," Sienna started, but Harry interrupted.

"No, you should go sit. You're by Hermione, though I haven't seen her yet. I'll show you." He then led her into the tent. "By the way," He added without meeting her eye after he'd pointed out her chair. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," Sienna said quietly as she watched Harry walk back to the entrance. She smiled sadly, looking down at her hands. She'd miss him, all of them in fact, when she left this evening. She'd stay the night at the hotel before boarding the train early the next morning. This time tomorrow, she realized, she'd be hurtling towards Atlantis.

She was jolted from her thoughts by Hermione who had just come in. The two of them talked for a few minutes until the wedding music began to play. The procession came in slowly and filled the front two rows. Then, the two flower girls entered: Fluer's sister Gabrielle and Ginny. From where she was sitting, Sienna could see that Harry's eyes were fixed on Ginny; otherwise he might have noticed Sienna's eyes fixed on him.

Hermione noticed though. "Sienna, are you okay?"

"Of course," Sienna lied quickly.

"I know that's not true," Hermione said worriedly. Before she could press the issue, however, the bride began to walk down the aisle.

Fluer looked radiant like always. She had a glow about her that brightened everything it touched. As she reached the front and took her place next to Bill, her glow seemed to erase the cares from Bill's scarred face, giving it back its kind, handsome appearance from before his run-in with Greyback.

The ceremony went smoothly, and, soon, the chairs were vanished, to be replaced by a dance floor and small, white-clothed tables. A band began playing somewhere, and people started dancing.

Sienna had lost Hermione when the ceremony ended, but now she saw her talking with Harry and Ron near where Luna Lovegood was sitting. So Sienna began making her way over to them. She stopped a little way from their table when Victor Krum began to talk to them. He seemed irritated about something, but not as irritated as Ron looked. Soon Ron grabbed Hermione and pulled her out to the dance floor. Laughing, Sienna continued walking.

"That girl is very nice looking," She heard Krum say, gesturing toward Ginny. "Is she a relative of yours?"

Harry looked like he was struggling not to hex Krum. "Yeah. And she's seeing someone. Jealous type. Big bloke. Wouldn't want to cross him."

Krum sighed and muttered something Sienna couldn't hear before walking away from the table and towards her. He stopped when he recognized her. "You are one of Hermione's friends, correct? Sienna?" Sienna nodded. "Do you vont to dance?"

Sienna was surprised and threw a quick glance at Harry before looking back at Krum and nodding. "Sure, thanks."

They danced for a few songs, not talking much. Then Sienna went to see where Harry had gone. She found him sitting alone and looking pale.

"Are you alright?"

He didn't respond. He just looked up at her with a confused, hurt expression. Just then, Hermione walked up, saying something about being tired of dancing. She looked down at  
Harry and immediately became worried as well.

"Harry, what happened?" Sienna asked again.

He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything there was a flash of silver light. The tent became completely quiet as everyone turned to look at the silvery lynx standing in the middle of the dance floor. The Patronus opened its mouth and spoke with Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep, booming voice. "The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Sienna was the first to react. She had to find Ron so that he, Harry, and Hermione could flee. She fought her way through the crowd and quickly found him.

"Ron, come on!" She shouted as she grabbed his arm and dragged him back through the crowd. She found Harry and Hermione holding hands to make sure they weren't separated as Hermione cried out for Ron. Sienna pushed Ron towards them and he grabbed onto Hermione's free hand.

Sienna caught Harry's eye in that split second, and everything around them seemed muted to her. He was begging her to grab onto his hand, but she just shook her head and stepped back. "Go." She said softly. And then, they were gone.

Fighting back her tears, Sienna apparated into Ginny's room where she grabbed her already packed bags. She couldn't help but look out the window at the once-beautiful marquee that had now been set aflame. A single tear slipped through Sienna's hardened mask. As it rolled down her cheek, she turned on the spot and stepped, from everything she had ever known, into complete and utter darkness.

* * *

_I hope you liked it. __ I don't know when exactly I'll have the next chapter up, but I'll try to get it up soon. Oh, the footnote:_

_*If you'd like to see a sketch of the dress, here's one: fav . me /d69q2fg (remove the spaces.)_


	4. Chapter 3: Another Train

_Hi guys! I'm back! This chapter didn't take all that long to write, so I'm pretty happy right now. Anyway, this chapter's a little over 2,500 words, which I think will be pretty normal as far as chapter length goes. I hope you're enjoying the story. Please, review!_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Another Train**

When Sienna stepped out of the darkness, she found herself on a beautiful beach. She knew she was in Rethymnon, in Northern Crete. With difficulty, she tore her eyes from the glittering ocean, and, wiping away the tear, she turned instead to see an elegant building. She walked up the beach to the entrance of the building, the Atlantis Beach Hotel.

The interior of the hotel was just as beautiful as the exterior. Gleaming stone floors and soft earthy tones were brightened by chandeliers and splashes of pink. Sienna couldn't help but smile a bit as she walked up to the receptionist.

"Ma'am," Sienna said politely as she reached the counter. "I'd like to book a room for tonight. A Student Suite."

The young lady raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "I assume you mean a _Junior _Suite?"

"No, Ma'am, a _Student _Suite. I have to catch the train tomorrow."

The receptionist looked surprised. "Wait a moment," She said and walked through a door behind the counter.

After a moment she returned with a middle-aged man. "Good afternoon, Miss," The man said politely. "My name is Aegeus, I am the hotel manager. I will help you book your room."

Sienna smiled. "My name is Sienna Sinclair. The room's price is included on my scholarship, right?"

"Yes, Miss Sinclair, I have you down here. I did not realize you would be coming for the early train, but no matter. You will be in room A21. I will show you."

He walked around the counter and past Sienna down a hall. Sienna quickly picked up her bags and followed him. He led her past a nice dining room and a few conference rooms, then up to the second floor, where the suites were. She followed him into a room with an ice machine. He checked quickly to make sure that no one was there before sliding a key card into a hardly noticeable card slot. A bright teal light shone from the card slot and a portion of the wall slid away to reveal another hallway with more rooms.

Aegeus led Sienna to the first of these rooms and handed her the key card. "This is your room. The key card is for entrance into the hallway and, of course, for your room. Feel free to enjoy the pool. Your dinner and breakfast are paid for, but there is no room service in this hall, so you will have to come to the dining room. If you need anything, please ask me. I hope you enjoy your stay." With that, he walked away, closing the door to the hallway behind him.

Sienna unlocked her room and stepped inside. Her footsteps seemed loud to her as she walked across the polished stone floor to the bed. She let her bags fall as she herself fell sprawled out on the bed and finally released the pent up emotions from the past two days. She cried for Bill and Fleur and their ruined wedding. She cried for Ginny, who was so hurt and lonely as she watched Harry leave her behind. She cried for her family, who, she knew, would now be uprooting their lives and leaving for America, trying desperately to escape the wave of darkness spreading over the magical world. She cried for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, as they left everything they knew to become fugitives on a desperate, shadowy quest. But most of all, she cried for herself, estranged from all she loved. She was very aware that she might never see her best friends or her family again. She, Sienna, would be going to what might be the last safe place on earth while everyone she loved was on the run from Voldemort and the Ministry, which was now under his control.

When Sienna finally sat up she noticed it was dark outside. It had only been a little after noon when she had arrived, so she figured she had cried herself to sleep. For the first time, she looked around her room. It was a comfortable room, but cold and impersonal, despite the soft golden lights shining on the walls. Across from the large bed was a soft-looking couch, and, in the middle of the room, was a large Jacuzzi. Sienna almost laughed at the idea that this was a "Student's Suite." But she certainly wasn't going to complain.

She stood up and walked to the bathroom to wash the tearstains from her face. Then she placed her bags in the alcove that was meant to function as a closet before finally changing out of her dress from the wedding. She glanced at the clock next to the bed and, seeing that it was only ten, decided to grab dinner before going to bed. So she put on a comfortable sundress and left to find food.

The hotel's restaurant, Knossos, was open until eleven, but most people had already eaten, so Sienna was one of the only ones in the room. The food was all traditional Greek and Cretan cuisine and was very good.

When Sienna finished eating she decided to step outside and look at the ocean before going to bed, since she wasn't sure if she'd have time the next day before she left.

Of course, when she got outside, Sienna found she couldn't just look at the ocean; she had to go walk on the beach. She took her sandals off and enjoyed the soft sand between her toes. The waves seemed to be coated in silver as they danced under the full moon. A particularly bold one crept so far as to wash over Sienna's feet. She smiled. She had always loved the ocean, especially at night.

She stood there, looking out at the glittering Mediterranean, for a few more minutes before pulling herself away and back into the Atlantis. When she got back to her room, Sienna realized how exhausted she was, despite her long nap. She quickly changed into pajamas and slipped under the silky sheets of her bed.

The craziness of the day kept coming back to her mind, unrelenting as the waves of the sea. Her constantly changing emotions over the past two days had drained her, but even now she found herself unable to keep from crying. Through her tears, she wondered, half-amused, how she could still have tears left after the afternoon's cry, but they kept coming. She didn't know when exactly the tears gave way to the sweet repose of sleep, but it was a welcome reprieve. For that one moment, she could simply reside in the present. The past had been washed from her mind by her tears, and the future would come soon enough, but for that night, neither disturbed her dreamless sleep.

. . .

A buzzing sound startled Sienna from her sleep. She had set an alarm the night before, so now, at eight in the morning, she was awake.

She quickly shut off the alarm and began to get ready. Due to the location of the train station, Sienna would be able to change into her school robes before she left the hotel. However, she still needed to eat breakfast, so she decided to wear the sundress from the night before again.

The food on the breakfast buffet was very good, and, thankfully, it was also quick. The train was to leave at ten, and Sienna hadn't been able to get down to the buffet until almost nine. She ate swiftly and, within twenty minutes, was walking back to her room.

Before she finished crossing the lobby, Sienna was called to a halt by Aegeus. "Miss Sinclair, I assume you will be checking out soon. When you do, simply leave the key card by your bed. At ten fifteen, I will assume the room has been vacated. Is that agreeable to you?"

Sienna nodded.

"Very good, then. I hope you will have a pleasant journey and will stay here again when the train returns."

Sienna smiled. "Thank you," She said softly before continuing to her room. When she arrived, she quickly changed into her new robes. Then she folded the sundress and packed it in the one bag she had left open. She had packed the others before breakfast. Everything seemed to be in order. She checked the clock; it read 9:30. She still had half-an-hour to get to the station and onto the train.

Sienna carefully began piling her bags in the Jacuzzi. When she had gotten them all in, she scanned the room one last time to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. When she was satisfied that she'd remembered everything, she placed the key card next to the bed and stepped into the Jacuzzi herself.

She felt slightly foolish standing in the Jacuzzi with her bags, but at least there was no one watching. She took a deep breath, nervous now, and carefully pressed the "on" button. There was no burst of water, only the sensation of spinning before Sienna found herself standing with her bags on what appeared to be a landing square in the middle of a hall.

She picked up her bags and carefully carried them out of the hallway and through a pair of blue-silver doors. She stood, stunned, in the doorway. She wasn't sure what she had expected the station to look like, but it certainly wasn't this.

Sienna was standing at the entrance to an ice palace. Lofty ceilings were supported by frosted columns carved with elegant designs. Tall windows and crystal chandeliers illuminated the room, causing the ice to sparkle like diamonds. The room didn't feel cold, despite all the ice. Then she noticed the train. Her jaw dropped. It was an ultra-modern royal blue train with a silver stripe running down the sides.

Only then did Sienna notice the silence. She was used to the noise of train stations, but this one was completely silent. There was no bustle, and hardly a whisper could be heard. She could only see one or two others in the station at all, and they were going about their business in a focused but unhurried sort of way.

Feeling slightly awkward, Sienna quickly made her way onto the train. Inside, everything was a soft grey, almost a timberwolf sort of color. It was very comfortable and, just like the exterior, it was very modern.

Sienna walked down the aisle looking into empty compartment after empty compartment. She figured she shouldn't be surprised; after all, school wasn't due to start for another two weeks. The only others here were teachers who wanted to get back before the students but didn't feel like spending the whole summer at Atlantis. So, with a sigh, Sienna resigned herself to sitting alone and starting on her schoolwork.

Sienna entered the very next compartment and settled herself on the plush seats after stowing her trunk. She pulled out her Divination textbook, _Tactics: How to Effectively Gain and Use Information_ by Cassandra G. Clannyte, and began to study. Ten o'clock came and went and the train began to move, but Sienna was focused on her reading and she really didn't notice. In fact, she didn't look up at all until she felt a buzzing near her wrist.

It took Sienna a minute to pull herself from the book, but she finally managed to really look at her wrist. On it was a silver charm bracelet. One of the charms, an elegant mirror, had turned gold. Smiling, Sienna pulled out her wand and muttered a spell, and, soon, the mirror had grown to the size of a normal hand-held mirror.

Sienna figured the best place to hide her two-way mirror was on her charm bracelet as an ordinary charm. Most people wouldn't notice if one of the charms turned gold, and only she could feel the buzzing. If she couldn't talk, she knew the silent spell to turn it off, almost like rejecting a call on a Muggle cell phone.

In this case, though, Sienna could talk, so, happily, she said, "_Dicamus_." Immediately, the screen showed a picture of Harry, looking worried.

"Sienna, you're there. I thought something was going wrong since you didn't appear as soon as I said your name. What's wrong?" He said, all in a rush.

"Harry, I'm not like Sirius. I'm not supposed to have something like this. I keep it on me at all times, but it won't show me until I am able to talk to you. Sometimes you may not be able to reach me, especially if I'm in class, but I will try to get back to you later when something like that happens. Anyway, what's wrong with you? You seem upset."

Harry laughed humorlessly. "Besides being worried if you and everyone else even made it out of the wedding? Well, as you know, Hermione, Ron, and I apparated out of there together. We went to a small café that Hermione knew. We were sitting there, talking, when a pair of Death Eaters appeared and attacked us. We got them, but it was pretty unnerving. We still don't know how they found us. We're now at Grimauld Place. It's not perfectly safe but we don't have anywhere else to go."

Sienna's eyes had gotten wider and wider throughout his tale. She couldn't believe the Death Eaters had been able to find them. Normally there were lots of possible ways, though she doubted the Death Eaters were capable of any of them, but the bracelet should have prevented it. Oh, the bracelet. . .

"Were you wearing the bracelet?" She asked suddenly.

"Er, yeah. I had it in the little moleskin pouch Hagrid gave me for my birthday. I put it on when we changed before we went into the café," Harry answered, looking a bit surprised.

Sienna's eyebrows scrunched together as she considered this bit of information. She couldn't come up with an answer off the top of her head though, so she decided to think on it later. "Just make sure you keep the bracelet on at all times, okay?"

He nodded, and the two of them started talking of little things. Soon, they began to hear Hermione and Ron calling Harry. Neither wanted the mirrors to become common knowledge, so they cut the talk short.

Sienna was a little sad as she returned the mirror to its charm form. She wished she could be with Harry, but she'd decided this needed to be done. Besides, maybe if she was away from Harry for a while she would be able to let go of him more easily when he finally got to be with Ginny. That thought threatened to bring more tears, but Sienna had caught up on her sleep and regained control.

Before returning to her book, Sienna glanced out the window. She did a double take. There seemed to be nothing out there. She summoned a light to sit outside her window, but there still wasn't much to see. As she continued staring out the window in alarm, Sienna saw a large something pass in front of the window. The train must have been going very fast, because it was gone instantly. Well, at least they weren't traveling through a void. Finally, green began to pass in front of the window. It was undulating and seemed almost plantlike. When she saw more shadows darting among the green, she understood: they were traveling along the sea floor.

Sienna had known that Atlantis was in the middle of the ocean, but she hadn't realized it was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Of course, that really shouldn't have been a surprise, considering the name of the school.

Shaking her head in both amusement and amazement, Sienna returned to her book. Time passed quickly, and she wasn't sure what time it was when she felt the train slowing. She checked outside the window, but still couldn't see anything.

Once the train had completely stopped, Sienna grabbed her bags and walked toward the nearest exit. She got off the train and looked around in wonder. She was standing at the edge of a huge dome of light. They were incased in a luminescent bubble at the bottom of the ocean. As she walked around the train, she turned toward the middle of the dome, thinking that nothing could surprise her anymore. Atlantis, it seemed, was determined to continue proving her wrong.

Sienna felt the bags drop from her grip.

* * *

_Fwi, Atlantis Beach Hotel is a real place. The Student Suite is modeled after the Junior Suite, which is why the receptionist got confused. Feel free to visit next time you're in Rethymnon, but don't try to use the Jacuzzi to get to the station; it won't work. Anyway, did you like it? I can't really tell because not many people are reviewing. . . You know, I'll make a deal with y'all. I've actually got the next chapter written. I'll post it early if the story gets all the way up to having 5 reviews. However, if no one reviews this chapter at all, I might not even bother continuing to post chapters. Please don't let that happen; I really like this story. Anyway, see y'all later!_


	5. Chapter 4: The Koi Fish

_Hi everyone! I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and/or followed this story. Y'all are awesome! *applause* I've been working on this story almost nonstop since the reviews for the last chapter were so positive. I'd like to apologize ahead of time, but I will not be able to upload another chapter for at least two weeks because I'm going to camp. Sorry. Anyway, I hope everyone likes this chapter. Review! _

_(Oh, I've never bothered with one of these before, but I don't own Harry Potter. I know y'all are surprised. I do own Atlantis School of Sorcery, though.)_

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Koi Fish**

_Sienna felt the bags drop from her grip._

Sienna let her eyes wander over grassy slopes, vibrant flowers, and a bright blue lake, fed by a waterfall trickling from a cliff. On three sides, the grounds were surrounded by these cliffs, rising up, out of the bubble, and on into the darkness. Scattered across this paradise were buildings, all cut from white marble. The largest and most imposing building looked like a palace. She could also see a Quidditch pitch and what appeared to be a sparring arena.

Shaking her head, Sienna picked up her bags once again and began walking to the palace-like building. She still couldn't believe the size of this place. It was huge and beautiful and verdant, despite being on the sea-floor.

When Sienna arrived at the door, she realized just how big the palace was. It was at least as big as Hogwarts, and that was without the other large building that appeared to be some sort of dormitory.

Before she could open the door, someone opened it from the inside. A young, pretty witch with black hair and black eyes looked out at Sienna. "Hi, you're Sienna Sinclair, right? Follow me; I'll take you to meet the Headmistress. Oh, you can leave your bags here; someone will take them to your dormitory."

Sienna nodded, set her bags down by the door, and followed the woman into the entrance hall. The room was huge. It had large stained glass windows, but was primarily lit by floating blue luminescent bubbles. In here she could really believe she was in the sea, because the effect of the lights was like the sun seen through the surface of the water.

Sienna followed the woman down the hall to a large door. However, instead of entering, the woman led Sienna up one of two identical staircases that ascended on either side of the door. At the top, the staircases joined together, leading into another hallway, though not quite as big as the entrance hall. This hall had doors opening along its length, but once again, the woman didn't enter any of them.

At the end of the hall, the woman led Sienna down a side passageway, leading to another staircase, this one even reaching the uppermost level of the palace. The two of them climbed up two flights to the top only to find themselves facing a stone wall.

Sienna looked puzzled, but the woman only smiled and, muttering, placed her hand on the wall. The smooth surface of the marble rippled and flowed to form an archway leading into the corridor beyond.

"The fourth floor is reserved for the teachers," the woman said smiling. "Once school starts, the statue who watches the entrance will be back and will be available to summon teachers for students who need them. For now, you will have to wait until you can find a teacher to let you in. I hope it doesn't cause you any trouble."

"Oh, not at all," Sienna said politely. The hall they were now in had a long pond down the middle with bright, clear water and large black, white, and orange fish. "Are they Koi fish?"

The woman looked over at Sienna, looking mildly impressed. "Yeah, they are. Do you know their Muggle legend?"

Sienna shook her head.

"In Japan, the story says that a Koi fish once decided to seek enlightenment, and, in pursuit of that goal, it began to swim upstream. It faced many obstacles, but through perseverance, it overcame all of them, becoming stronger. When it crested the final hill and found the source of the stream, it was transformed into the first dragon as a reward for its work. That dragon was then able to fly into the heavens, where it finally found true enlightenment. I don't know if there is any truth in the story, but every student here hears the story on his first day. It's a school tradition, especially since the Koi is the symbol of Atlantis."

Sienna shook her head in wonder. "I never was sure why the symbol of Atlantis was a fish, but that makes sense." She looked down at the pond once more and, acting on instinct, she bowed. Straitening, she turned again to the woman and smiled. "Thank you for telling me the story. I'm ready to meet the Headmistress now."

Her guide had looked a bit surprised at the bow, but now returned Sienna's smile and led her down to the very end of the hall, where a beautiful door stood. It seemed to have been carved out of a single enormous pearl. The woman knocked once, and the door slowly opened of its own accord.

The two entered, but Sienna couldn't see the Headmistress. The circular room was rather large and nicely decorated with plants and statues, but it seemed empty. Sienna walked to the middle of the circle where a large marble statue of a Koi fish stood.

"So, you like my statue? I'm glad. It's my very favorite." Sienna jumped and spun around, but she still couldn't locate the voice. "My dear, I'm up here."

Sienna looked up and finally noticed the balcony that looked over the room from the second floor. Standing there, looking down at her, was an elderly woman in long ivory robes. Her hair was the color of the full moon and shone almost as much. She smiled and a moment later walked into the wall and then out of a hidden doorway in an alcove just behind Sienna.

"It is nice to meet you, Sienna Sinclair. I am Ariel Fontayre, Headmistress of Atlantis. Here, come with me so that we can sit down. We have much to talk about regarding this year."

Sienna nodded and followed Professor Fontayre up to the balcony room, where she sat down behind a large coral desk. Sienna took one of the two chairs in front of the desk.

"There, now we can talk," Professor Fontayre continued. "According to my records, you have never taken Divination, correct?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Very good. Over the course of the next two weeks you will spend two hours each morning and afternoon during the week with Casey working on Divination. Next, Amazons are required to have completed one advanced and one intermediate Combat class when they graduate. Since you have experience with dueling, I would take Wizard Dueling for your advanced class. I don't think we could catch you up to any of the other classes for the advanced. Now, for the intermediate, I suggest we do what we are doing for Divination: you'll spend these two weeks in a crash course of sorts and then you can join right in with the class when school starts. As such, you may choose your other Combat class. Here's the course list."

She handed Sienna a brochure that listed all the classes. Sienna scanned the list.

"You should really choose a close-range weapon, since magic is more long-range by nature," Sienna's guide interjected.

Sienna nodded and looked again at the list. She'd been thinking archery, but that was long-range, so she'd go with her second choice.

"I'll do sword-fighting," Sienna said looking back toward Professor Fontayre.

Fontayre looked startled. "Really? Sword-fighting is popular enough among Heroes, but it's fairly rare in the other colleges, especially Amazonia. However, it's not unheard of and it should cover what your magic can't, so I have no problem with it. Your teacher, Professor Gladinor, will work with you for two hours in the mornings after you finish Divination. Also, I want the Wizared Dueling teacher, Professor Finnète, to spend an hour with you each afternoon, just to make sure you're caught up. Lastly you'll have a couple hours of free time each afternoon to work on homework and explore the school. So, here's your schedule for the next two weeks until school technically starts. We'll wait to get your official schedule sorted out until after the start of term feast at least. Oh, you have weekends off these classes, but Divination, at least, will have homework for you. Tomorrow you start lessons. Casey will give you a quick tour now and introduce you to your other two teachers tomorrow."

Seeing Sienna's look of confusion, the Headmistress turned to Sienna's raven-haired guide. "You did introduce yourself, didn't you?"

"Oops," The woman said laughing. "I must have forgotten. It's nice to have met you, Sienna. I'm Casey, well _Cassandra_, technically, Casey Clannyte. I'm the Divination teacher."

Sienna was in shock. This girl who hardly looked out of school was the Divination teacher? Besides that, she wrote the textbook. Sienna figured she must be some kind of genius. However, she quickly regained her composure. "It's very nice to meet you. I've been reading the textbook, and your ideas are fascinating. I look forward to your class."

"Aww, aren't you sweet," Professor Clannyte giggled. "Come on, I'll give you the short tour so that you can just explore for the next few weeks." Sienna nodded and thanked Professor Fontayre before following Professor Clannyte back out of the room.

The "short tour" showed Sienna the dining hall (where they took a dinner break), the library, the sparring arena, and the classroom where she'd be having Divination. After they finished there, Clannyte said she'd show Sienna the Amazon dormitories so she could get to bed. Although Sienna hadn't realized it, it was very late. The train ride had been much longer than she'd thought.

Professor Clannyte led Sienna down another marble corridor, this one on the first floor. One wall was made almost completely of windows, overlooking a beautiful garden filled with flowers and trees. Through the window, Sienna could see that the passage surrounded the garden on three sides, and the middle one had a doorway leading into the garden. However, before they turned onto that portion of the corridor, Clannyte stopped.

Sienna and Professor Clannyte were now standing in front of a little alcove with a beautiful urn sitting in it. Artemis, the huntress goddess, chased a herd of deer across its surface. Professor Clannyte smiled at Sienna and spoke to the small painted figure of Artemis. "Lady Diana, this is our new student and she's in your college. Will you give her your password?"

Artemis looked up at Sienna and nodded. In a sweet melodic voice, she said, "The password for the semester is _Puellae Imperium_. I must warn you: I never let _boys_ into this dormitory even if they have the password, so don't bother trying to sneak one in."

Sienna laughed. "No, I've had enough of boys for a while, so I think that won't be a problem."

The little Artemis laughed before shooting an arrow at the inside of the alcove. A doorway appeared where the arrow had landed. Professor Clannyte thanked Artemis before leading Sienna into the dormitory.

The common room was pleasant. The furniture looked comfortable, and paintings of flowers and maidens were hung around the room.

"Just to let you know, I am the supervisor for Amazonia College. If you have any questions, I'm the one to talk to. Oh, yeah, the dormitory for the seventh years is down the fourth staircase."

Sienna nodded and continued examining the room. A large sofa and several armchairs sat around a fire, the first one Sienna had seen at Atlantis. The floor had a soft bronze rug concealing the same marble floors as the rest of the building. The back wall contained four stairwells descending into the ground underneath Atlantis.

Sienna walked over to the last one and down into her dormitory. The room itself was very nice. It had five soft looking four poster beds hung with the Amazon colors. One side of this room was covered in windows too, looking out over another flower garden. There was also a doorway, so Sienna walked out to enjoy the garden.

The garden had been planted in a small cave that had the brightest of the small bubble-lanterns that Sienna had seen so far. The flowers seemed to be growing fine, which convinced Sienna that magic was involved somehow. There was also a little cherry blossom tree planted by a stone bench.

Sienna looked around at the walls of the cave and noticed that hers was the only doorway. The seventh years had the little garden to themselves. Smiling, she walked back into the dormitory.

She looked around and found her bags sitting next to one of the beds. She figured that bed was hers. She walked over and opened one of the bags, releasing a small black kitten.

Sienna had gotten an owl from her parents at the beginning of her first year, but she had to share it with her two sisters. She might have gotten to bring it with her to Atlantis, but owls weren't allowed because there was nowhere for them to fly. So, her parents let her sisters keep the owl and let Sienna get a kitten.

"Come here, Funky," Sienna said quietly. Her youngest sister had started calling the cat Funky before anyone knew they were buying it, and the name had stuck.*

Sienna picked up Funky and sat down on the bed, holding on to the struggling cat. She thought about the past couple days and sighed, knowing everything would be very different from here on out. Well, at least she'd stopped crying.

Sienna released Funky quickly and began rubbing her arm where the cat had bitten her. She smiled; it had been her own fault. She got up and checked out the last doorway out of their dormitory. This one led to the bathroom. It was small, but it would be fine for five girls to share.

Sienna knew she had class early the next morning, so she wanted to get to bed a bit early. It took her a while to fall asleep though; thoughts of her friends and the future plagued her mind. Eventually, however, she drifted off to sleep.

_She was standing by a river that had a fast current. She wasn't scared though, so she went ahead and took a few steps into the water. It was cool and felt wonderful flowing against her calves, so Sienna continued walking until she was almost in the middle of the river. _

_Suddenly, she noticed a Koi fish swimming toward her, against the river's current. As it got closer, Sienna could see that this Koi was completely gold. She watched it as it drew nearer and nearer until it was right beside her. In awe of its dedication, Sienna bowed._

_The Koi stopped. It turned to her. It was now swimming only to stay abreast of her. _

"_Are you the Koi from the legend?" Sienna asked._

"_Yes," it replied simply. "I heard you bowed to the Koi in the pond, so I had to see for myself. You are . . . special."_

"_Er, thanks. But, if you don't mind my asking, what's so special about respecting what you have done"_

"_Every student at Atlantis has seen the Koi and heard my story, but only you bowed. Many did not even listen to the story, and many others forgot soon after, but you saw me swimming toward you and watched, then once again you bowed. Perhaps you are the one we have been waiting for."_

_Sienna was confused. "Why would you be waiting for me? I'm nothing special."_

"_No, but you do have a role to play. I am not the only one who sought enlightenment, and when I arrive at the source of the spring, I will find other Koi there. However, only I will transform into a dragon. Why is that?_

"_I don't know," Sienna said honestly._

_She could almost hear the Koi sigh. "A gift that is forced on someone is no gift at all. The reward is a gift; you have a choice whether or not you want to accept it. Always remember: no one goes looking for fool's gold, but many find it and mistake it for gold."_

"_That doesn't make sense," Sienna tried to say, but her words wouldn't come. The Koi began to continue its journey, and Sienna couldn't follow it or call out to it. All she could do was watch and wonder what its words to her had meant._

* * *

_So that's the chapter. A few pronunciation notes first:_

_Fontayre – Fŏnt-air (just like the word air)_

_Clannyte – Clan-it _

_Gladinor – glad-in-or (just like sounds)_

_Finnète – fin-ĕt (warning, I know no French, so I'm doing the best I can with these names. If I'm spelling French names wrong, please tell me and I'll fix it. Best I can tell, this is how that pronunciation would be spelled.)_

_* Funky. So years ago when my younger sister and I were kids, our family was on a long trip, and, for some reason, we stopped into a Petsmart to use the restroom. My sister and I ended up finding a cage with some kittens that were for sale. My little sister found a little black kitten that was so hyper, and she fell in love with it. She named it Funky, and she wanted to take it home. We weren't buying a kitten, and she was crushed. She left the store crying over Funky. She was irritated when I told her I was naming Sienna's cat Funky, but I thought y'all might enjoy the story._


End file.
